The Wise will understand this Parable:

Parable of the Wedding Feast - Matthew 22:1-14

2"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4"Then he sent some more servants and said, `Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' 5"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8"Then he said to his servants, `The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12`Friend,' he asked, `how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. 13"Then the king told the attendants, `Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

In this Parable:
1. The King = God the Father
2. The Son = God the Son, Jesus Christ
3. The first group that was invited = The Israelites who declined
4. The second group that was invited = The Gentiles and those Jews who accepted
5. The servants = those who preach the Gospel of Christ’s salvation

Explanation of the Parable:

God's chosen people, the Jews, were the first to receive the invitation to receive their Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God whom they rejected. The Wedding / Gospel invitation was then given to others (the gentiles - note Romans 1:16, etc.). In short, everyone had received an invitation, but not everyone accepted the invitation.

Note that the Book of Revelation describes a future marriage of the Lamb (Jesus - John 1:29) and His Bride (Revelation 19:7).

The guest who was not arrayed in the proper wedding attire was one who had declined God’s gift of salvation and righteousness - a robe of righteousness that comes not from man, but from Christ/God only:

Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Note that in Genesis 15:6, this righteousness comes through faith in God: “Abram believed (had faith in) the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Also note Ephesians 2:8-9 in the New Testament.

Believers are covered with God’s garment of righteousness / salvation. When God looks at the repentant sinner He does not see the filthy attire of sin, but the robe of righteousness obtained by Christ's perfect obedience to the law. There are none righteous apart from this God-given righteousness. A perfect example that this righteousness is not obtained by man’s own inherent “goodness” is found in Zechariah chapter 3:

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."

Filthy clothes = sin in the above scripture, while a robe of righteousness = a garment of salvation in Isaiah 61:10.

From the New Testament we find:

Romans 13:14 - “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ...”
Philippians 3:9 - “..not having a righteousness of my own that comes from (keeping ) the law, but that which is through faith in Christ...”

Also note that in Matthew 22:10 - “...the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

Here we see the illustration of those gathered off the streets - people who may well have not been able to afford special wedding garments on such short notice. Also note that those gathered were both “good and bad,” so that the invitation was not based on works alone, otherwise just the “good” would have been invited. So the wedding garments - the garments of salvation - were God’s gift to those who accepted the invitation to the Son’s (Christ’s) wedding to his bride - his church of true believers.

In the end, those without the God / Christ-given robe of righteousness / salvation were cast into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14

How to be Saved in Jesus (Includes a prayer of salvation):

Getting Saved By Jesus

Beware of what lies ahead if you keep rejecting Jesus Christ.

You are not guaranteed tomorrow. Time is running out.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

The atheists and secular humanists must realize that God has clearly defined for us that although He is long suffering, His patience will not last forever. History is culminating in a finality which is leading to an inevitable judgement, and we were blessed as a generation to live toward the end of this journey of Gods plan for human redemption. These unbelievers must be warned that the time is short and Gods patience is running out and His wrath is about to be poured out upon all of mankind for our universal rebellion against His holiness as our one and only God and Creator.

Jhn 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Jhn 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Both the believer and the unbeliever have very real promises we can embrace. For the believer, it is that God will never leave or forsake us. For the unbeliever, it is that God will most assuredly pour out His wrath upon an unbelieving world.

Act 13:40 "Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon {you:}
Act 13:41 'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.' "

So heed Easyriders scriptural warnings well. After all, he is only the messenger who is crying out in the wilderness of this spiritually dead world and warning you of the inevitable judgement which is coming soon.

I recommend Risperdal for what ails you both. See your physician asap.

Sooo, the point under debate would be....?

Oh, I see, you're just spamming the board with your religious drivel.

Originally Posted by T.Q

Sooo, the point under debate would be....?

Oh, I see, you're just spamming the board with your religious drivel.

T.Q, I suspect that this OP is in response to my point that EZ keeps making arguments that are rooted in the assumption that his position is correct, meaning that the arguments are effectively circular and don't really support a damn thing. What EZ doesn't seem to realize is that this post does exactly the same thing.

I also pointed out the hilarity and hypocrisy of EZ's demanding that we heathens open our eyes so that we can at least understand viewpoints that we don't accept. The fact that EZ keeps posting this question-begging drivel demonstrates that he either can't or won't practice what he preaches.

It's really just bonus that Christianity -- allegedly the way and the light according to a deity that loves everyone no matter what -- declares that even the kindest, most generous people will be tortured for all eternity merely for worshiping the wrong deity. Really, the standard lines are the fear-based apologetics that use the same basic tactic as terrorism: "Do what we say, or fear the consequences." Fundy Christians in the U.S. are gung-ho about screaming bloody murder about Muslim terrorists and arguing that religion itself isn't to be blamed, yet it becomes clear that the rationale for this intellectual (or rather, non-intellectual) terrorism stems directly from the arguments that religion makes: Heathens will suffer.

EZ, here's a hint to help you understand my point of view: When I read fiction, I don't believe it.

Originally Posted by electrolyte

EZ, here's a hint to help you understand my point of view: When I read fiction, I don't believe it.

Yeah, that's what a lot of stiff-necked infidels like you thought at one time, and they later came to their senses.

How stupid are you going to feel when you belly-up and find out you just wound up in the Pit?

As for fiction, once again I challenge you to show me one significant person, place, or event in the Gospels that is ficticious.

All I want is ONE (1) - just your best ONE.

Put up or shut up, turkey.

Originally Posted by Easyrider

Yeah, that's what a lot of stiff-necked infidels like you thought at one time, and they later came to their senses.

How stupid are you going to feel when you belly-up and find out you just wound up in the Pit?

As for fiction, once again I challenge you to show me one significant person, place, or event in the Gospels that is ficticious.

All I want is ONE (1) - just your best ONE.

Put up or shut up, turkey.

The birth of Jesus. The contradiction in the geneologies can not be resolved by claiming that Luke is of Mary's ,because that is just a lie. The text does not say that , and blood lines are always counted through the biological father.

Another thread celebrating ez’s vengeance through god.

He will have the last laugh or at least he thinks he will.

Originally Posted by trebor

The birth of Jesus. The contradiction in the geneologies can not be resolved by claiming that Luke is of Mary's ,because that is just a lie. The text does not say that , and blood lines are always counted through the biological father.

Is your name Electrolyte? Then go soak your head.

Let him pick the Gospel person, place, or event and show how it's ficticious. Because you sure didn't. You just slopped stuff against the wall.

Originally Posted by Easyrider

Is your name Electrolyte? Then go soak your head.

Let him pick the Gospel person, place, or event and show how it's ficticious. Because you sure didn't. You just slopped stuff against the wall.

You can’t show that it’s not fictitious and as you started the topic burden of proof lies with you.

You do realize that we are laughing at you don’t you?

Originally Posted by Accipiter

You can’t show that it’s not fictitious and as you started the topic burden of proof lies with you.

You do realize that we are laughing at you don’t you?

Wrong, again. The burden of proof lies with Electrolyte because he made a claim that it's ficticious. Here's the challenge to Electrolyte:

I challenge you to show me one significant person, place, or event in the Gospels that is ficticious.

That's why you're still a bird brain.

Originally Posted by Easyrider

Wrong, again. The burden of proof lies with Electrolyte because he made a claim that it's ficticious. Here's the challenge to Electrolyte:

I challenge you to show me one significant person, place, or event in the Gospels that is ficticious.

That's why you're still a bird brain.

Why would anyone want to do that sleazy?

No matter how well it’s argued you will simply disagree so it’s not worth doing.

The only thing your good for is someone for us to laugh at.

Originally Posted by Easyrider

Is your name Electrolyte? Then go soak your head.

Let him pick the Gospel person, place, or event and show how it's ficticious. Because you sure didn't. You just slopped stuff against the wall.

This is an open forum, and this isn't a head to head forum. I noticed that
you were unable to respond to the point, and only went to whining, complaining and insults.

I would point out that there is also the death of Judas, where the standard 'apology' is just stupid, saying that these two mutually elusive stories both happened.

Originally Posted by Archangel

The atheists and secular humanists must realize that God has clearly defined for us that although He is long suffering, His patience will not last forever.

That's where you are wrong from the beginning. If we did realize, we probably would not be atheists or secular humanists.

History is culminating in a finality which is leading to an inevitable judgement, and we were blessed as a generation to live toward the end of this journey of Gods plan for human redemption. These unbelievers must be warned that the time is short and Gods patience is running out and His wrath is about to be poured out upon all of mankind for our universal rebellion against His holiness as our one and only God and Creator.

Time is running out, god is XXXXXX, and he going to come down here and kick our butts...right? I'm not sure I would want to serve a god who had limited patience and poured out wrath among his people...even if I really believed he existed. Isn't wrath one of the seven deadly sins?

Both the believer and the unbeliever have very real promises we can embrace. For the believer, it is that God will never leave or forsake us. For the unbeliever, it is that God will most assuredly pour out His wrath upon an unbelieving world.

Again with the wrath. I speak only for myself when I say this: I would surely believe in god if only he would make himself known to me. So far, I have seen absolutely no evidence of a god, and therefore using the rules of common sense...I don't believe in god. And again...this does not mean that I would worship god even if I believed in god, I would never worship a vengeful and "wrath pouring" god. Not to say that this is how god truly would be if he were real, as I realize that if there was any truth to the bible it has long been corrupted by people like you and Easy to serve your own ends.

So heed Easyriders scriptural warnings well. After all, he is only the messenger who is crying out in the wilderness of this spiritually dead world and warning you of the inevitable judgement which is coming soon.

I have to believe that if god wanted me to follow him, he would have sent someone brighter and more in tune with his word than Easy.